"Law enforcement officers are supposed to provide safety to innocent people, not to threaten their lives," he said.

Mr Surasee said his commission had called on the prime minister to investigate whether police officers were operating within the law, and to find out what criteria they were using to place people on their suspects list.

Mr Thaksin himself has denied accusations that his government is encouraging a shoot to kill policy in order to meet tough targets to rid the country of methamphetamines.

The prime minister said on Friday that "everything had been done according to the law".

He argued that police have acted in self-defence.

"There is nowhere on earth that police ask suspects who are about to fire a gunshot to go to court first," the prime minister added.